A Free 90 Minute Discussion and Q&A

October 25, 2016, 6PM Pacific

If you’re participating in a creative community today, chances are you’ve seen some truly disappointing (and often alarmingly painful and/or infuriating) attempts at “diversity and inclusion.”

Spaces where, whatever the intention, white people derailed conversations, disrespected black and brown participants, and even exploited and fetishized other people with little to no consequence. Spaces where marginalized voices were downplayed or ignored. Where disproportionate representation left the few people of color engaged to play “token” roles, constantly defending or explaining themselves in a room that treated them as outsiders.

And, perhaps more disappointingly, when these failures get named (almost always by those who are already dealing with the ramifications of such toxicity) and folks call for accountability, the same responses come up over and over again:

“I’m sorry if anyone was offended.” (AKA: The Non-Apology)

“I didn’t mean for anyone to take it like that. It was a joke/a commentary/an artistic exploration. I really am a good person. I have a/many (insert ethnicity) (insert relationship), so I understand the struggle.” (AKA: The “Woke by Proxy”)

“I invited people of color to participate, but nobody seemed interested.” (AKA: The “Gosh I Tried!”)

“What are we supposed to do when there just isn’t much diversity to begin with?” (AKA: “I only know white people.”)

These failed attempts and the fallout they generate make it harder to believe that dismantling white supremacy in mixed-race spaces is possible at all. Whichever side of a failed “diversity” situation you find yourself on, chances are you walk away feeling burned.

Some of us have trusted in people or ideas that were not equipped to maintain a safe environment for everyone involved. Some of us were too ambitious about diversity without realizing how much practice it takes to check our privilege and really show up for our partners. Some of us were afraid of messing up and so did nothing when we were needed the most. All of these failures can result in cynicism and doubt.

But we can’t give up.

Whatever you do to care for yourself, celebrate, and grow in the face of the dehumanizing forces of systemic oppression, the fact remains that building community spaces that include white people without perpetuating white supremacy is vitally necessary work. If we are to coexist peacefully on this planet as humans, let alone as artists and thinkers, we have to learn from the mistakes we’ve made and witnessed. We can’t be permanently discouraged by them.

Knowing why diversity and inclusivity is important is not the same as knowing how to do better.

And we do have the capacity to do better. Good intentions only go so far, especially because the ways white supremacy and other forms of systemic oppression are built into everyday thoughts and actions can be difficult to spot before it’s too late. Our success depends on categorically breaking down unconscious actions before they are harmful and forming new habits to replace them.

Most importantly: Building community spaces that don’t perpetuate white supremacy is only possible when we build long-term, resilient, honest and trusting relationships with collaborators we respect across privilege.

These relationships give us the faith and fuel we need to keep confronting white supremacy in ourselves and others, even when it’s exceptionally difficult. They can provide guidance and inspiration when the next steps in dismantling white supremacy seem murky or overwhelming. And they do not spontaneously develop overnight. You have to cultivate real trust intentionally over time—but most importantly: It can be done.

If you have been interested in building relationships across racial privilege but are unsure where to start or are skeptical that it can work, please join Princess McDowell and Tatyana Brown—two writers who are successfully engaged in this process—for “Applied Diversity: Collaboration without Tokens or Saviors.” 

This free talk (with time for Q&A afterwards) will both examine the value of creative relationships that build across privilege in preventing “diversity and inclusivity failures” and lay out the building blocks for putting them together. We know we can’t make it easy, but we believe we can relate to one another humanely and effectively through art and beyond. If you’ve been burned too many times before or if you feel like we must be deluding ourselves, please sign up below and give us the chance to restore your faith in what’s possible.

Before our Q&A Session in Applied Diversity, we’ll cover:

• The common pitfalls of superficial “diversity thinking” and how they reinforce white supremacy.
• Healthy components of relating across race—so no one ends up being that lady from The Blind Side or the black “friend” everyone else is pretty sure doesn’t exist.
• Some ways to personalize your approach to common/universal best practices.

Applied Diversity will be broadcast for free on the evening of October 25, 2016. If you can’t join us live, sign up below anyway and we’ll make sure you receive a recording of the course.

*Please know that we recognize the multitude of unique experiences of black and brown people cannot fully be conveyed by just addressing “white supremacy.” We are actively working to make space to also address anti-Black racism, anti-Latinx racism, xenophobia, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Asian Pacific Islander racism, among other harmful -isms.